The New Pizza Fusion in South Beach

The new Pizza Fusion opened this month in South Beach and whether you live here or you are coming on vacation, you are going to want to check this place out. Now you may be thinking don’t we have enough pizza places in South Beach? But Pizza Fusion is not like other pizza restaurants and here’s why.

They care for the environment

I met with creator Vaughan Lazar and owner Joe Fuentes and was lucky enough to be given a glimpse into the Pizza Fusion world. The concept is simple. They want to do their best not only for their customers but also for the environment. Their Mission Statement says they will “uphold the highest level of integrity in all we do, from the quality and origin of our food, to the health of our customers and the environment.” This means using only natural organic ingredients, delivering food in company owned hybrid cars, and using energy efficient materials in the restaurant, from the recycled paper pizza boxes to the eco friendly uniforms the staff wear.

A healthy menu for everyone

But what interested me the most was their approach to their customers with food allergies and selective diets. Vaughan wanted everyone to be able to enjoy his food, so he devised a menu that can be enjoyed by anyone vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free and lactose intolerant. This extends to the kitchen prep area which he proudly showed me round, explaining how he worked with the Celiac Disease Foundation to build a kitchen that would allow anyone with a gluten allergy to enjoy the pizzas safely.

As someone on a gluten free diet I know that many places advertise gluten free pizza, but just making a pizza on gluten free crust will not make it safe to eat. It requires a totally separate prep area, utensils and oven trays, and this is what Pizza Fusion has in their kitchen. The result is a pizza that looks and tastes the same as a regular one but can be enjoyed without the worry of gluten. They also offer gluten free beer and brownies, which adds to the whole dining experience.

In addition to being gluten free, here are 6 more reasons why I love Pizza Fusion

Healthy pizza? Yes, it can be found here. The menu also offers an extended array of appetizers, sandwiches, salads and desserts. And all menu items are made from natural organic ingredients.

Create your own pizza: The menu allows you to choose your pizza crusts from organic white, multi grain and gluten free and the pizza sauces range from tomato, pesto, BBQ and olive oil.

Most of the menu items can be adjusted to be vegan or gluten free and they offer soy cheese as an alternative.

Pizza prices are reasonable, starting at $7 for a personal size and going up to $24 for an XL with all the toppings

Even the drinks are organic: You won’t find any big name soft drinks sold here because “they didn’t want to include anything on the menu that can take paint off a Camaro”.

The beer selection is amazing: Draft includes Magic Hat #9, Shipyard Summer Ale, Stone IPA, Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale and Native Lager. The bottled selection includes Sea Dog Bluepaw, Avery Brewing Company and White Rascal and for the gluten free beer lovers they have Redbridge and Greens. Better yet, they are currently running a promotion of buy one get one free during the Miami Heat games on all beer.

So does gluten free pizza match up to the real thing?

Living on a strict gluten free diet, I had high hopes for my first taste of what Pizza Fusion could offer. I decided on the Farmer’s Market, a tomato based pizza topped with roasted artichoke hearts, red onion, roasted zucchini and portobello mushrooms. I of course opted for the gluten free crust, which comes in either personal or large size, adding $3 or $5 to the cost of the pizza. My friend opted for the Founders pie, which came with free range chicken, black olives and red onions and is a favorite of the owners. Both pizzas came out looking perfect and I am happy to report my pizza tasted as good as how I remembered the regular ones tasting. There were no leftovers to take home!

The best pizza on the Beach

Pizza Fusion has locations all round Florida and now they have opened in South Beach, both locals and tourists can experience a dining experience that tastes better than any other pizza restaurant on the beach. And with their approach to giving back to the environment, eating there feels as good as it tastes.

A SoBe resident for 5 years, Jess’s writing focuses on healthy living in South Beach with a dose of British humor and a cheerful outlook on life in Miami. She can be found moderating the forum Miami Beach 411.

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6 Comments on

"The New Pizza Fusion in South Beach"

Chrsity
says:

Congrats on your first story Jess! Signature Suggestion: A SoBe resident for over 2 years, Jess’ writing focuses on healthy living in Miami with a dose of British humor and a cheerful outlook on life in the 305.

Posted on 06/04/2011 at 2:28 PM

Jess
says:

I like your signature suggestion so much I am going to use it. Thank you and I miss my old roomie